Analyzing Primary Source Documents Using Informal Logic

Tuesday 3:00 Room C-1

Presenter: Peter Gillen, Taunton Public Schools

We need at least one more tool in the historical thinking toolbox; we need to teach students the basics of logical analysis. Much of the fun of analyzing documents like Lincoln’s First Inaugural Address comes from identifying and evaluating arguments. There is no better way to make thinking transparent than to teach students some of the most basic laws of thought that have been successfully used since the time of Socrates. In this workshop we will use informal logic to analyze documents so we can help students do the same.